The world is in trouble. The United States nursing shortage is spreading, and patients are suffering because of it. While timing, circumstance, and global issues are to blame, not the medical staff, the threat is still exceptionally real.
Now is not the time to cast a stone or try to insulate ourselves from the truth. Now is the time to act positively, helping to rebuild the house instead of helping to destroy it, either by action or inaction. How do you help the world you know and love?
You — yes, you — can use your powers of healing gained by a rigorous commitment to education to become a traveling nurse. Here are the steps to gain a wealth of experience points while also helping to save the world.
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If you have the credentials to be a nurse, but you are looking for more out of your career than going to the same doctor’s office or hospital day in and day out, becoming a traveling nurse might be the quest of a lifetime. So, where do you start?
That’s easy! Regardless of where you live in the United States, you have access to reputable medical assistant staffing agencies that can assist you in finding the destination of your dreams. All you need to do is contact an agency you feel comfortable with, and they will get you equipped to start your adventure.
What Do I Need to Start the Hiring Process?
Credentials are important for every job, and being a traveling nurse is no exception. Here are the basics of what you will need to move forward with such a limitless opportunity:
- Current resume
- Completed travel application
- Completed skills checklist
- Completed reference form
- Proof of graduation from an accredited program
- Active state licensure
- One year of experience in the desired travel setting
- Proof of eligibility to work in the United States
After you have gotten onboarded and have accepted your first travel assignment, you will have a second round of requirements to fulfill. These requirements include:
- Field-specific certifications
- Drug screen
- Receive a fit to work physically
- TB test
- Titers/vaccinations
- Criminal background check
However, once all this gets completed, you will start your new adventure. (If you’ve worked in your field previously, though, none of the prerequisites should give you pause.)
Is This a Safe Opportunity?
Yes! Even though you are traveling, with its hazards, you will never be alone or sent to a place you are uncomfortable visiting. When you become a traveling nurse, you will always get to choose where you want to go, and you will have a recruiter assigned just to you.
Therefore, you will always have a confidant while on the road. Plus, there will be a team of specialists at the home base for the company to answer any questions you may have, 24/7.
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How Long is Each Assignment?
Each assignment is different. Although, you have full control over the projects you choose. Therefore, you will know how long you are going to be working in a specific destination. That way, you can plan your life and plans around assignments without feeling cut off from your friends and family.
Do You Need to Be an RN to Become a Traveling Nurse?
If you’ve never worked anywhere near the medical field, this seems like a silly question with an obvious answer. Fortunately, you have, and therefore, you already know that there is much more encompassing the nursing profession than the RN acronym.
Therefore, you understand the answer to that question isn’t so cut and dry. The short answer is no. You don’t have to be a “nurse” to take advantage of this opportunity or help battle the nursing shortage.
Here are a few of the professions that need traveling nurses throughout the United States:
- Physical Therapists / PT
- Physical Therapist Assistants / PTA
- Occupational Therapists / OT
- Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants / COTA
- Speech Therapists / SLP
- Registered Nurses / RN
- Licensed Practical Nurses / LPN
- Certified Nursing Assistants / CNA
In summation, the opportunity to become a traveling nurse offers many benefits while also allowing you to live an exciting lifestyle safely and while being well compensated. Plus, you get to work in the nursing field, doing your part to help people. For the adventurers among the nursing profession, what could be better than that?
